Tag Archives: Permaculture

Willow Water

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Why & How to make Willow Water

Willow bark contains a natural plant growth hormone called, auxin hormone.  You can use this hormone to stimulate root growth on propagation cuttings by making a home-brewed solution called, ‘Willow Water’.

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Willow Twigs

First, you collect first-year twigs from any willow species (Salix spp.); these twigs will have green or yellow bark. Older willow growth has brown or grey bark, so don’t use those. The willow leaves are not used, so remove all the leaves from your twigs and toss them into your compost.  Take these willow twigs and cut them into 1-inch to 3-inch long pieces. You will need approximately 2-cups of twigs to make ½ gallon of willow water.

 

Extracting growth hormone from willow twigs:

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Steeping Willow Twigs

Method A – Place the 1-inch willow twigs in a container and cover with ½ gallon of boiling water, let them steep for at least 24 hours, then strain the liquid into another container to remove twigs.

Method B– Place the 1-inch willow twigs in a container and cover with tap water. Let twigs soak 48 hours, and after 2 days strain to remove the twigs.

The willow water is now ready to use.

How To Use:

First method: Pour some willow water into a small jar, and then place the cuttings you want to root into the willow water like flowers in a vase, soak the ends overnight. After soaking, plant the cuttings in a propagation medium.  Planting medium suggestion is ½ vermiculite and ½ Coir (coconut fiber) or peat moss.  Please note: coir is a sustainable planting medium, while peat moss is not.

Second method:  Plant the cuttings you want to root in a propagation medium, then use willow water to water these cuttings.  Watering the cuttings with willow water twice should be enough to help them root.

How To Store Willow Water:

Store willow water in a jar with a tight fitting lid and keep refrigerated. Label the jar with Contents, Brew Date, and Expiration Date. Willow water keeps for up to two months if refrigerated, but freshly made willow water is more potent, therefore the longer it is stored the less effective it becomes.

Submitted by: Carlotta Lucas

Resources:

Deep Green Permaculture  https://deepgreenpermaculture.com/diy-instructions/home-made-plant-rooting-hormone-willow-water/

Garden Know How  https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/projects/making-willow-water.htm

Permaculture Lecture

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Permaculture Gardening Strategies
Prepared for Siskiyou Permaculture, Permaculture Design Course January 2011

1) Plan for plant succession. Start gardens on your worst soils. Remember trees and shrubs fill in and are the natural successors of pioneer plants like vegetables. Ideally, start with veggies and end with forest garden. Be aware of arrested succession.

2) Rainwater harvest. Consider size of storage and amount needed, seedlings love rainwater, planting basins, swales, deep mulch, gravity feed from rain tanks, greywater, city water costs.

3) Frost drainage. Layout the garden to drain cold air from planting beds and down paths. Cold air flows like molasses and can be drained from garden under gates and fences.

4) Sheet mulch. Suppress weeds and increase soil fertility and moisture by mulching with newspaper and cardboard. Deep (1 ft.) straw mulch for late summer.

5) Attract Pollinators and Beneficial Insects. Plant a series of flowers that provide nectar flow and habitat year round to encourage insect diversity to your garden.

6) Small ponds. Create habitat for frogs, toads and birds by building small ponds in your yard.

7) Collect micro-climate information. Set up a mini-weather station in your garden with a rain gauge and a maximum/minimum thermometer. Weather information will help you determine where and when to plant your garden. Record on desk or large wall calendar.

8) No till. Plant perennials. Perforation, mulch, top dressing and plant roots build soil structure from the top down.

9) Benefits of home gardening: Psychological health, fresh medicinals, increased nutrition in your food, seed saving, developing soil for future needs, learning how to do it in case we need to know.

Garden Elements: Additional things to think about in planning your home landscape and garden.

    • Wind protection for both house and garden
    • Sun bowl
    • Shade your house in summer, preserve solar access in winter
    • Water drainage
    • Outdoor rooms
    • Wildlife to invite in and wildlife to keep out (distract)
    • Frequently visited areas near the house and main walkways
    • Height layers
    • Maximizing usable space
    • Dynamic accumulators
    • Plant guilds
    • Plan for the amount of time you can spend gardening
    • Field crops (corn, beans, squash) in community gardens and open spaces
    • Share specialties from home micro-climates

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A FEW FAVORITE GARDENING RESOURCES
Books:
Designing and Maintaining Your Edible Landscape Naturally, by Robert Kourik, 1986
A permaculture based overview with extensive sections and charts on fruit trees, companion planting, cover crops, and more. Author based in northern California.

Garden Guide for the Rogue Valley, Year ‘Round & Month by Month, Jackson County Master Gardener Association. Not strictly organic, but it de-emphasizes nonorganic methods. Gives you important local recommendations for timing and success in our climate.

Gaia’s Garden; A guide to Home-Scale Permaculture, by Toby Hemenway, updated 2009
The permaculture backyard classic explains how to get your garden to pop.

Sunset Western Garden Book
Still the landscapers essential guide. Organized as an encyclopedia, and addressing western climate issues, it includes lists of recommended plants for wind, deer resistance, sizes, etc.

Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties, by Carol Deppe, 2000

The Resilient Gardener, by Carol Deppe

Four Season Harvest, by Eliot Coleman, 1999

The One-Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming, Fukuoka, Masanobu. Reprinted 2009. Edited by local permie Larry Korn!
New Roots For Agriculture, Jackson, Wes, 1981

Teaming with Microbes; the Organic Gardener’s Guide to the Soil Food Web, Lowenfels, Jeff and Lewis, Wayne

The Ruth Stout No-Work Garden Book, Stout, Ruth. 1979

On-line Resources:

The Future is Abundant, Species Index, by Shery Litwin. Available on the Siskiyou Permaculture website. http://www.siskiyoupermaculture.org

Plants for a Future, database for edible and useful plants. http://www.pfaf.org/user/plantsearch.aspx

OSU Extension Gardening Encyclopedia online: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/

Sowing Calendar, Hardiness Zones 7-8; Local chart for numerous vegetables prepared through research not experience, but likely still useful.

Click to access Sowing%20Calendar01-14-11.pdf

Pros and Cons of Deep Mulch Gardening, article, http://theprepperproject.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-deep-mulch-gardening/

Siskiyou Permaculture
Melanie Mindlin